Upgrading the internet in public schools means investing tens of millions — and tearing up streets across Chicago

An $84 million plan to boost internet speeds at Chicago Public Schools has stalled again, officials say, because of red tape in securing construction permits from the city. For several months, crews have been ripping up streets to build a new high-speed fiber network. Around 80 schools were supposed to be connected by Nov. 1 as part of the project’s first phase, but that goal has been pushed to the first quarter of 2022. The latest setback may mean more construction headaches for residents and more internet woes for students, who returned to school buildings for full-time, in-person learning in August and are due back from the winter break Monday. “We’re running over 300 miles of fiber throughout the city, originally slated as a three-year project,” Richard Burnson, CPS director of network services, told the Tribune. “We’re running a bit behind schedule, but continuing to push forward and have it wrapped up by 2023.” The new network is slated to reach about 570 Chicago schools and administrative buildings. Each school would connect to two of 11 hubs spaced across the city. If there’s a problem with one of the connections, officials say high-speed internet would still be available. Schools would have access to download speeds of 20 gigabits per second.